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Cab Calloway

Cab Calloway was born on Christmas night, December 25, 1907, in Rochester, New York. The second of six children of Cabell and Martha Calloway, he was named Cabell III, after his father and grandfather. He was raised primarily in Baltimore, Maryland. While still in high school he started performing in revues and vaudeville shows at his high school and at the Regent Theatre.

His parents hoped young Cab would study law. Cab Calloway however hoped to become an entertainer. "In high school I began to play drums and to sing with a small group and even do vaudeville with some kids from school," Cab recalled. "And best of all, I found out that I could get paid for entertaining. I could do two of the things most important to me - at the same time make people happy and make money."

He did attend law school in Chicago and supplemented his income by performing in local nighclubs. Calloway's first Chicago nightclub gig was at the “Dreamland Café”, where he plays drums and sing. Cab was invited to play the drums in the Chick Webb style and to sing with a four piece jazz combo at the clubs Gaiety, Baily’s and Goodlows in a style that includes both Dixieland and straight jazz. He kept very busy during his college days. He joined “Johnny Jones and his Arabian Tent Orchestra” at the Arabian Tent Club where the played the “Baltimore version” of New Orleans Dixieland jazz.

Blanche Calloway was working in Chicago, in "Plantation Days," one of the first major African-American revues. Blanche gave him advice, and, when the show needed a replacement in a vocal quartet for a singer who was ill, she helped Cab Calloway's land a stage role on the road with the "Plantation Days" revue in 1925.

“Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys” recorded with Louis Armstrong, Vick Dickenson, Cozy Cole, and Ben Webster. Calloway eventually met trumpeter Louis Armstrong, who taught him to sing in the scat style. Cab soon started performing steadily with Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines at the “Sunset Café”, the Chicago equivalent of the “Cotton Club” in Harlem and becomes the “house” singer. He shared the stage there with Louis Armstrong and the Carroll Dickerson band 5 nights week for 6 months.

In 1928 after Louis Armstrong is invited to move to "Connie’s Inn” in Harlem, New York, Cab Calloway takes over at of the “Sunset Café” with club owner Joe Glaser. In 1929 it gets too much for Cab Calloway and he quits his law studies at the Crane College to devote himself full time to his music career.

He sang with a band called the Alabamians. The group went head-to-head, (and state vs. state!) in a battle-of-the-bands with a mid-west ensemble, the Missourians - who won the battle. Cab signs with MCA and begins a tour ending at Chick Webb’s “Savoy Ballroom” in Harlem.

Calloway is chosen by Charles Buchanan, the manager of the “Savoy”, to take over as leader of the house band the “Missourians.” Callloway accepts the position. He also performs in the touring broadway show “Connie’s Hot Chocolate’s” at the Hudson Theatre with the help of his old partner Louis Armstrong who stars in the show. It is here that Cab popularizes Fat’s Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin”, and Cab is noticed by Irving Mills who sat in the audience.

1930 Cab Calloway and the Missourians open at the “Cotton Club” to replace the “Duke Ellington Orchestra” while it is on tour. The Calloway debut at the “Cotton Club” is a huge success. The shows are broadcast twice a week on national radio (NBC) and locally on WMCA. Cab is featured as a guest artist on Walter Winchell’s “Lucky Strike” radio program and with Bing Crosby on his show at the “Paramount Theatre.” Cab Calloway is one of the small band of black performers who break the major broadcast network color barrier and becomes a symbol of jazz for all audiences throughout the country. In 1931 he and his orchesta form the "Cab Calloway's Cotton Club Orchestar" are the first black band to tour the south if the US. Cab writes his first big hit and theme song “Minnie the Moocher”. which goes on to sell over one million copies and the group soon broke every existing record for all-black band audiences.

During the 1930s Cab Calloway and his orchestra become very popular. Cab is featured in his first film “The Big Broadcast of 1932” by Paramount Pictures, with Bing Crosby. Cab is also featured in Betty Boop animations short “Minnie the Moocher”, “Snow White” and “The Old Man of the Mountain” by Fleischer Studios; in the film comedy with WC Fields, “International House” and “Cab Calloway’s Hi-De-Ho”, “Cab Calloway’s Jitterbug Party”, “Great Jazz Bands of the 30’s” by Paramount Pictures; in the Hollywood film “The Singing Kid”, with Al Jolson by Warner Brothers; in musical short “Hi-De-Ho” by the Vitaphone Corp; and in “Manhattan Merry-Go-Round” by Republic Pictures Corp. The first edition of “Cab Calloway’s Hepster Dictionary: The Language of Jive” is published. Cab names a style of Lindy Hop Dancing "the Jitterbug" and superstars s axophonist Eddie Barefield, trumpeter Doc Cheatham, tenor sax player Chu Berry, bassist Milt Hinton, durmmer Cozy Cole and even Dizzy Gillespie join the band.

In the mid 30s, Cab Calloway and his Cotton Club Orchestra begins its first tour of Europe. They perform in London, Manchester, Amsterdam, The Hague, Antwerp, Brussels and Paris.

During the 40s, Cab Calloway continues is stellar career although the Cotton Club closed down. In “Club Zanzibar” they make some of their finest live recordings. Cab Calloway continues national tours to standing room only crowds ending in a two week run in 1942 at the “Paramount Theatre” in NYC that breaks all attendance records.

During the 40s Trumpeter Jonah Jones, saxophonist Hilton Jefferson, and Andy Brown, Saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, "Texas Tenor" Ike Quebec join the band.

Cab stars on national radio in his own show called “Quizzacale” an African American parody of the Kay Kaiser “College of Musical Knowledge” radio show. Calloway stars in the film “Stormy Weather” with Bill “Mr. Bojangles” Robinson, Lena Horne, Fats Waller, The Nicholas Brothers, Ada Brown and others, by 20th Century Fox; in the musical revue film “Sensation’s of 1945” by United Artists.

Cab is featured Calloway records numerous “Soundies”, (three minute music films) which are screened on Panorams all over the country. In 1947 Cab stars in film “Hi-De-Ho” by All-American, in film musical “Ebony Parade” with Count Basie and Dorothy Dandridge by Astor Pictures Corp;

Calloway records and performs with seven or eight pieces as “Cab Calloway and his Cab Jivers” or “Cab Calloway and his Cabaliers.”

Toward the end of the 40s, Cab performs with a trio consisting of Jonah Jones on trumpet, Milt Hinton on bass, and Panama Francis on Drums. Cab Calloway tours Havana, Cuba. 1948 Cab disbands his salaried big band in April, it becomes a “contract” band.

Unfortunately, during the 40s he develops a gambling habit which eventually catches up with him.

In 1950 Calloway plays in the “Sportin’ Life” in a hit revival of the Gershwin Broadway musical “Porgy & Bess”. The show runs for 3½ years with one year in London and Paris. He revives his big band orchestra for a tour that includes Montevideo, Uruguay during Carnival, Mexico, Cuba, CA and the Caribbean. And then ends up touring Britain as a solo artist in 1955 where he performed in "Porgy & Bess" in 1953.

At last he starts appearing in the film musical revues “Rhythm and Blues Review” with Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughn, Nat “King” Cole; "Basin Street Review” with Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn, Lionel Hampton, Nat “King” Cole for Studio Films, Inc.; “Jazz Ball” with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, The Mills Brothers, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw; in the stage production “Cotton Club Revue of 1957” in NYC; “St. Louis Blues” with Nat “King” Cole, Pearl Baily, Eartha Kitt, Ruby Dee, Ella Fitzgerald and others for Paramount Pictures; “Person to Person” CBS-TV show with Edward R. Murrow as host.

During the 60s he performs at half-time intermissions to audiences of 15,000 to 20,000 people during the Globe Trotter performances. He appreared in “The Cincinnati Kid” with Steve McQueen and Edward G Robinson for MGM; in the revival of the Broadway musical “Hello Dolly” as “Horace Vendergelder” in an all black cast including Pearl Baily.

During the 70s Cab Calloway keeps active and stars in Broadway production “The Pajama Game” with Barbara McNair. He still tours and leads the Woody Herman Orchestra.

In the 70s Cab Calloway publishes his autobiography (with Bryant Rollins) “Of Minnie the Moocher and Me” with the Thomas Y. Crowell Company, NYC. He celebrates his grand-son's C. Calloway Brooks success who is accepted by, and enters, New England Conservatory of Music. He starts performing with is grand son. Cab is featured in three episodes of “Sesame Street.” and stars in the national touring company “Bubbling Brown Sugar;"

During the 80s now in his seventies Cab Calloway remains amazingly active. He is featured “The Blues Brothers” starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd with James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles for Universal Pictures and he tours with the national company of “Eubie.” Cab appears in the documentary film “The Cotton Club” which includes interviews, vintage film clips and an impromptu performance. Cab Calloway and his grandson C. Calloway Brooks, who has reached top billing in his own accord, appear together in concert at the Kennedy Center on behalf of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.Cab also appears with his grandson C. Calloway Brooks in Brooks’ concert at New England Conservatory of Music’s Jordan Hall in Boston.

In the 80s, Cab Calloway leads the Count Basie Orchestra after Count Basie dies. Cab appears in the documentary “Minnie the Moocher and Many, Many, More”, a nostalgic tour of the Harlem clubs of the 30’s and 40’s; shares footage of Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Bill Robinson and himself as leader of the Cotton Club Orchestra; and is is featured in Janet Jackson’s music video “Alright.”

In the 90s Cab winds down a bit. In 1992 Cab Calloway gives his last performance together with his grand-son, C. Calloway Brooks, in Baltimore MD, at a benefit for the Associated Black Charities. The 1993 “National Medal of Arts” is awarded to Cab Calloway by President Clinton at a White House ceremony.

Cab Calloway dies on November 18th 1994 in Hockessin, Delaware as a result of a stroke in June of that year. C. Calloway Brooks appears with other Orchestra alumni at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

In 1995 Cab is posthumously inducted into the “International Jazz Hall of Fame.” C. Calloway Brooks appears along with Wynton Marsalis at their first “Remembering Cab” concert. C. Calloway Brooks is keeping the memories of his famous grandfather alive with his Cab Calloway Orchestra. It is directed by C. Calloway Brooks and launched with a 2 month long performance at Birdland. Since then he has released numerous CD and Videos, is touring nationally to great acclaim. Hi De Hi De Ho - the joy of Cab Calloway's music lives on.